Horizon League Student-Athletes Lend A Helping Hand

Aug 05, 2002

Aug. 5, 2002

Like a seed that turns into a flower, the Horizon League Student-Athlete
Advisory Committee (SAAC) has an idea it hopes will blossom to even bigger
things.

While each school conducts community events on its own campus throughout the
year, the idea for an annual Horizon League Community Outreach Project came
from former League SAAC groups that wanted to bring everyone together once a
year to collectively do something to better the community.

The League's name change from the Midwestern Collegiate Conference to the
Horizon League in the summer of 2001 combined with a renewed emphasis on its
four platforms (which include athletic performance, academic achievement,
community outreach and personal responsibility and accountability), blew the
doors of opportunity wide open for the League to collaborate with the SAAC
and create what has now become an annual event.

In 2001, the two groups went to the Ruth Lilly Social Service Center, a
haven for abused and homeless women and children, for the inaugural Horizon
League Community Outreach Project. This year's event took place on Tuesday
(July 30) at the American Red Cross First Aid Clinic at the Indiana State
Fairgrounds. The First Aid Center is used by Red Cross volunteers and staff
to treat a variety of medical ailments from bee stings to heat exhaustion.
The Red Cross of Greater Indianapolis has handled all first response medical
care for the state fairgrounds for more than 50 years.

"Coming together to help out in this community because they want to and not
because they have to really shows the maturity and quality of the
student-athletes we have in this group and throughout our League," said
Assistant Commissioner for Compliance and Legal Affairs Stephanie Jarvis,
the League liaison for the committee.

The timing of this year's project could not have been better.

"Anytime we can get volunteers to help out, it is more than welcome,"
explained Brad Schleppi, the American Red Cross Manager of Community
Services. "This time, however, was a very nice coincidence. It has been
20-25 years since these rooms have been painted and just before Allison
(Benner, a Horizon League staff member) called, we had been discussing how
we were going to go about getting this taken care of. We definitely
appreciate this group taking the time out to help us."

Whereas the usual meetings between these student-athletes have them
participating on opposite sides, the Horizon League Community Outreach
Project allows the student-athletes a rare opportunity to join forces and
work together toward a common goal.

"This project says a lot about the Horizon League and its student-athletes,"
said Nicole Derouin, an Illinois-Chicago tennis player and the SAAC vice
president, who has been a part of both Horizon League Community Outreach
Projects. "We get excited about doing this every year. It is a way for us
to go out as a group and help those around us."

"Doing activities like helping out at the Red Cross is pretty cool and a lot
of fun," said Wright State swimmer Jackie Dexter. "It shows that we can
come together as a group."

While the Horizon League Community Outreach Project is only in its second
year, for several members of the SAAC this was not their first time reaching
out into the community.

Youngstown State cross country runner Tony Orcena took part in Christmas
Charity drives for underprivileged children while in high school and has now
taken that experience to another level, organizing similar activities, which
also included visits to retirement homes, for his fellow SAAC members at
YSU.

"To be a student-athlete, particularly one at the Division I level, is quite
an honor," said Orcena. "It is very important for us to be able to give
back in return for all of the sacrifices others have made that helped get us
to where we are."

While some of the SAAC members jokingly debated whether painting faster or
more accurately was better, one thing that was agreed upon was the goal of
helping others was the main focus.

"For us to be able to do a project like this and get the Horizon League name
out there is great," explained Detroit soccer player Aaron Byrd. "The more
we can do here means the more we are able to give back to the community and
to those that do not have the same opportunities that we have been given."